Game apparatus.



PATENTED JAN. "27,` 1903.

NLOIv J. A. DE LONi GAME APPARATUS.

.APPLIoATroN-HLED nu 1s, 1902.

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PATBNTBDJAN. 27, 190s.-

' J. A. DE LON. GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED un 1s, 1902.

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Tiaras UNinn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. DE LON, OF RUSSIAVILLE, INDIANA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,986, dated January 27, 1903. Application tiled May 16, 1902. Serial No.107,669. @lo model.:

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Beit known that I, JOHN A. DE LON, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Russiaville, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in game apparatus ot that class in which a revoluble dial or hand is set into molion by the use of thetrain ot' clockwork, and has for its principal object to provide au improved form of the machine in which the dial or pointer is rotated at 'different speeds through different periodsl of time at successive operations, the player being unable to determine in advance the exact length of time of rotation of the dial, its stopping-point being merely a matter of chance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple form of mechanism for releasing the clockwork, such mechanism being operable onlyon the insertion of a ball, coin, or other object of predetermined size.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. L1 is a face view illustrating a modified construction ofthe apparatus. Fig. 5 is a View of a detail of construction.

Similar nu merals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

10 designates a suitable casing having a circular opening or transparent panel 1l immediately in tfront of the revoluble dial or pointer. Within the casing ismounted a frame carrying a train of gearing comprising a spring 12, mounted on a winding-post 13, and the several gears 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, the arbor of the gear 19 carrying a fly 20. On the arbor 21 is secured a snail 22 for imparting movement to the locking-arm 23, the

latter being Vadapted to engage with notches in a locking-wheel 24 ot' a construction somewhat similar to that employed in the ordinary striking-train of a clockwork mechanism, but the notches being arranged in arbitrary order, so that the player on starting the mechanism into operation cannot determine in ad- Vance the exact length of time which the machine will operate. The locking-arm is mounted on a rock-shaft 25, provided with a trip-arm 26,1he lower end of which is in alinement with a plunger 27, extending through a guiding-tube 28, the outer end of the plunger being provided with a push-knob 29 at a point outside the casing and being normally held inV inoperative position by a spring 30. The inner end ot the tube 28eextends beyond the inner end of the plunger and forms a seat or support for the reception of a ball, coin, or otherobject which is dropped into the machine through a chtite 31. The ball or other object is received on the projecting` end of the tube 28.a`t a point between the nnerend ot the plunger and the trip-arm 26, so that when the plunger is pushed inwardly against the action ot' the spring 30 the trip-arm 26 will be forced back, raising the locking-arm 23 t from the notch in whichit may happen to rest and permitting the movementof the train of gearing. pushed beyond the end of the tube 28 falls through a tube 32 to a receiving-drawer 33.

On the front end of the arbor or spindle 34 is secured an arm 36, carrying a palwl 37, which is normally held by a spring 38 in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 39, carried by a revoluble dial 40. The dial 40 is mounted loosely on the spindle 34, and on its face are arranged oneorlmore rows of spaces bearing designating-marks, such as The ball, coin, di' otheroloj ect when numerals or appropriate phrases or the like. l

In the present instance the dial is provided with numerals, the highest of which is 25, so that the apparatus maybe employed in playing pachisi or other games where the numbers gained by the players is a matter of chance. The construction'is suchthat the disk carrying the numerals or other designated data will be rotated through the engagement of the pawl 37 with the ratchetwheel 39, the extent of movement being governed by the distance between the notches of IOO the locking-disk. The momentum acquired by the disk is then sufficient to keep it revolving for a considerable period of time and when finally stopped the spring-pointer 4l designates the number gained by the player. For convenience the pointer 2l is arranged to make contact with a series of pins 42, projecting from the face of the dial, so that there can be no question as to the exact stoppingpoint of the dial.

In Fig. et I have illustrated a slight modication of theinvention, the dial in this case being stationary and a hand or pointer being mounted on the spindle 3 4 in the same manner as the dial 40 is mounted on the spindle of the apparatus as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The apparatus may be employed for playing games of any kind where numbers, phrases, or other character determine the position of the player or playing-pieces or may be employed as a fortune-telling wheel or for similar purposes.

-While the construction herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is the preferred form of the device, it is obvious that various changes in` the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a revoluble member, of a clockwork mechanism connected to said revoluble member and having as one of its elements a locking-wheel provided with lockingnotches spaced at irregular intervals, a locking-arm adapted to engage in said notches, a trip-arm connected to said locking-arm, a plunger, and a chute for delivering an object between the end of the plunger and the triparm.

2. In a deviceA of the class specified, the combination of the casing, a clockwork mechanism mounted therein and including a locking-wheel having a series of locking-notches disposed at irregular intervals, a rock-shaft, a lockingarm carried thereby and adapted to engage in the notches, a snail for elevating said arm at regular intervals when the clockwork mechanism is released, a tube 28 having at one end a seat for 'the reception of a ball, a plunger 'guided in said tube and eX-A tending outside the casing, a push-knob on said plunger, a compression-springextending between the push-knob and casing, a ball guiding'and delivering chute terminating at a point above the ball-seat, a trip-arm secured to the rock-shaft and locking-arm and having its lower end arranged in the path of movement of the ball and plunger, and a guiding-chute for receiving and delivering the ball after the same has been forced from its seat by the plunger.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. DE LON.

Witnesses:

R. C. KINCAID, LOWELL W. COX. 

